Patti Labelle To Sell Some of Her Stuff and Tone Down the Bling in Face of Recession, P. Diddy to do the Same

Even the wealthy folks are feeling the pinch in this recession and the economic fallout. It seems like some of our superstars don't want to glitter so much in these tough economic times. According to media reporters, the consummate party animal Diddy, or Sean Combs, said that he was cutting back on the bling, bling.

“Out of respect, I’ve been trying to dress less flashy,” the hip-hop mogul said. “It’s one thing to be stylish; it’s another to be over-the-top. ‘You gotta know when to hold back and not rub it in.”

Guess what? He has company. Superstar and my favorite singer, Patti Labelle, has decided to tone it down a bit.

Patti LaBelle plans to sell some of her jewelry and clothes, WENN reports. One thing she won’t be selling is the pair of 6-carat diamond teardrop chandeliers earrings that Oprah Winfrey gave her and the other phenomenal Black women who attended the talk show host’s Legends Ball in 2005. That’s because Patti says she no longer has them.

"Oprah gave us all big diamonds, but somebody stole mine,” Patti told WENN. “I was robbed. It wasn't at the airport. I don't know where it was, but those earrings are gone.

"But it's okay. I have too much stuff. We're in a depression, and I'm selling some of my stuff." Is it wrong for the wealthy to flash their bling while so many others struggle or do you expect those who have it to keep flaunting it? Source: Essence

The problem is that they see a backlash coming. For example, Labelle released a new album a few months ago and Ms. Patti released a cookbook and she has some hot sauce on the market. Under normal circumstances, I would have purchased her cookbook and buy tickets for the Labelle concert coming to Atlanta in February, but times are tough and I cannot indulge in those niceties without thinking of my own situation. So, there is more to their decision to cut back than meets the eye. Of course, Patti has always been a class act and I am sure her heart is in the right place. So, what say you? Is this just an act or should we all follow Patti's lead?